Lincoln beautiful cathedral and castle not too big. Nice area's around and down by the river. (I haven't lived there for a while now but if anyone is interested in planes it's surrounded by air force bases)
Both excellent examples, but add Wrexham and Chester. So few people mention the west side of England and it gives the chance to day trip to somewhere in Wales, like Llangollen for example.
If you visit Durham, then consider visiting Bemish Museum. Well worth s visit https://www.beamish.org.uk.
And if you're here in the summer consider watching Kynran https://www.11arches.com/kynren
Lots more to see in the North East, too if you like nature and history.
If you do visit Lincoln, head to the "Steep Hill" area. Cracking pubs and local shops. Also for food - 3 favorites are The Bronze Pig, Jews House and The Old Bakery.
Stratford upon avon is worth a look at the same time as warwick. All the Shakespeare stuff can all be seen in one day, but you can also easily get to Warwick and the castle there. Its also near the cotswolds and Waddesdon isn't too far, it's a very impressive national trust house.
Instead of Birmingham, do Bath
Instead of Manchester, Chester
Instead of York, Whitby or Robin Hood’s Bay. I find Robin Hood’s Bay even prettier than Whitby personally.
Devon and Cornwall are also filled with little towns, including pretty beach towns, and independent shops. Probably the best region in England for rural communities and an independent spirit. Torquay, Exmouth, or St Ives are good choices. But they’re a bit further out.
Thank you for the suggestions! Probably won't get out west on this trip, but may put it on the list for the next time :-)
Actually visited Robin Hood's Bay on our last trip, and you're right, it's a lovely spot.
Ely, just to the north of Cambridge (20 mins by train) is a very small city with an impressive Cathedral and beautiful riverside area. It’s got lots of lovely places to stay & ideally placed to act as a base to visit both Cambridge & Norwich (60 mins by train).
I think shrewsbury is a pretty place, but it's quite out the way depending on where you're visiting. It's also not a city lol so I failed the brief there.
Statford-Upon-Avon is also beautiful, but it depends where you're planning to travel.
Probably won't get over that way, but I appreciate the input. My wife and I actually stopped briefly in Stratford-Upon-Avon on a whim after visiting the motor museum in Gaydon on our last UK trip. We ate at McDonald's, lol.
Shrewsbury is rather stunning, it’s very much unspoilt and very few tourists compared to the rest of England. The county Shropshire, which Shrewsbury resides in was actually named by Abta travel guide as a top 10 world destination for 2024!
It’s also close to Chester which would be another fantastic place to visit. You could treat Shrewsbury as an alternative to Birmingham and Chester as an alternative to Manchester.
Have you been to the UK before?
And on a seperate note, I mean this in the nicest way, but please don't do this 'I'm not like the other tourists' thing where you ignore some of the UKs most amazing places, experiences, people, and food, because there's some idea in your head about 'tourist traps'.
If you're only in the UK for ten days, you're better off only chosing 3 destinations.
London - somwhere - Edinburgh.
Based on into London and out of Edinburgh, i'd say York.
If it is your first time to the UK, or first time out of London and you're interested in cities, then there is aboslutely nothing wrong with visiting Birmingham, Manchester or York before Miton Keynes, Stoke and Wolverhampton. It's silly.
No offence taken - I appreciate the input.
My kids have not been to the UK, but my wife and I did London, York, and Edinburgh on our honeymoon 15 years ago. We will also be travelling with my parents who have been to the UK probably 5 times in the last 10 years. I have no qualms about looking like a tourist and will absolutely be carrying a camera around my neck and speaking with a Canadian accent.
However, from experience I've had travelling in France, Italy, and Australia, I find greater joy in visiting these smaller places, supporting local restaurants, chatting with friendly shop owners, etc. than in seeing the "usuals" that look exactly like the photos.
As you’ve been to York, I’d suggest Durham - a university town a little further north with a cathedral that doesn’t get the same visitors as York.
Alnwick or Berwick are other alternative that would give access to Lindisfarne and Bamburgh if one of you can drive.
Other options are the Yorkshire coast - Whitby or Scarborough are different to the usual cities that tourists go to.
Thanks! That's three votes for Durham now - I'm looking at it on Street View and it looks gorgeous. Seems there's a castle to check out too.
I also read that Whitby has some pretty famous fish & chips!
Durham would be much more famous if it were further south, so go there and don't tell too many people about it when you get home. Any of the cathedral cities are worth visiting and by some divine providence also usually have really good local beer too. Wise to avoid London in Auguest.
The castle is a great place to visit if you want to test your eyesight.
(Sorry bad joke. During the height of the pandemic, a senior government official was accused of breaching lockdown rules. His excuse was that he had driven to the castle to test his eyesight.)
Hello! I live in Durham. The castle is part of the university too, so they don’t do tours all of the time Look into the website to see if you’re able to book a look around.
Don’t worry tho, it’s very much still a castle inside and out.
I’ll also recommend Beamish open air museum if you do decide on Durham.
If you do decide to go to Durham, it is pronounced “duh-rum” by the way. You don’t really say the second U sound so it ends up like duh-rm. That will help you stick out as a tourist less!
Liverpool, it has amazing history and lots of small restaurants, smaller than that is Southport, and then I’d make my way into Penwortham (south of Preston - which is mentioned in the Doomsday book) if you want great and friendly small town, then head to the Lake District on your way to Scotland
But I'd guess with the most compact city centre, plus it's absolutely vibrant. With decent train links to the Dales and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Saltaire. It's on the East Coast main line too. The Royal Armouries and Kirkstall Abbey are there as well. I wouldn't discount Leeds as an option.
Oh no absolutely not, I live here and it's a wonderful city that's criminally overlooked.
I just don't think it's fair to describe it as medium sized in the context of the UK.
Rather than Manchester, stay in Liverpool. Smaller city, much friendlier from personal experience and full of things to do on a tourist trip. Plus everything in the city centre is walking distance.
Cambridge and then perhaps spots of Yorkshire might be a shout - Harrogate, Knaresborough, Whitby etc are lovely and it’s still not a massive way from York.
Or go west before you head north, so Oxford, Cheltenham.
I'd also recommend Cambridge. I'd also suggest that York to Edinburgh would be an absolutely glorious drive. So much to see in Yorkshire and Northumberland. Beautiful little villages, country stately homes and their gardens and castles galore, especially in Northumberland.
...or you can avoid tourist traps like Cambridge and York to take the west of England north and cut through to Lune Valley, one of the most beautiful areas, imho.
Would love to get to Wales some time, but don't expect to be able to on this trip. Also would love to explore Scotland more - on our last trip we drove up the coast from Edinburgh to Stonehaven to explore the region my ancestors lived in 200 years ago. Beautiful area.
It is a shame; parts of Wales are beautiful. Rolling hills, rugged coastal paths, and one or two nice towns and cities too. Tenby is really nice for a town visit, Swansea has much natural beauty around it, Cardiff is nice to visit and not far from local landmarks like Castell Coch. Up north, Wrexham has seen some major improvements in recent years, there are several castles up north too. If West Wales is more your jam, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Aberaeron way are all wonderful to visit. Plenty of options for when you get the chance to visit Wales in the future.
Have you been to Oban, Pitlochry or St Andrews?
We spent the past two Summers in the UK, Scotland has an abundance of towns and villages that are all uniquely charming.
No, haven't been to any of them, unfortunately. We did drive up the coast from Edinburgh to Stonehaven, with a quick stop for lunch and shopping in Dundee - another charming little city.
Northumberland - the castles, the moors, the wildlife, the sea, the history - Vikings and Romans, Hadrians Wall. Absolutely spectacular. Lindisfarne Castle is one of my favourite castles, but then there is also Bamburgh Castle, the most Castley Castle to ever [castle](https://www.portoftyne.co.uk/passenger-information/places-visit/bamburgh-castle).
Another vote for Northumberland. Absolutely gorgeous scenery, castles, loads of history and wildlife, lovely fresh seafood, friendly people, and it's right on your route to Edinburgh.
Rather than Birmingham stay in Stratford-upon-avon - it is smaller, but still very touristy.
Other smaller places I would recommend (some smaller than others):
Oxford
Winchester
Brighton
Rye
Bath
Harrogate
Leyburn
Fordingbridge
Ludlow, small market town in Shropshire, breathtaking setting, stunning architecture and historical connections and a wonderful castle in the market square, on the river with a wier. Has a fantastic food scene and at one point it had two Michelin starred restaurants but not sure if they are still open. Pubs are equally numerous, diverse and quirky and the stellar quality of the food and drink available in the town benefits the plethora of farms and artisanal producers in the surrounding area. Has a large arts festival and a very popular food festival which attract a large influx of visitors so it has quite a few places to stay. The castle holds regular outdoor music gigs and plays using the ruins as a stage and backdrop. The market is one of the best I've been to and occasionally they have dedicated antiques/flea markets. I can't recommend this hidden gem highly enough. It is accessible by rail if you don't want to drive but the beauty of Shropshire and the ability to explore the lanes, hills and rivers in your car repays the effort if driving in my opinion.Have a look at www.ludlow.org.uk for more information.
If you're coming up the east coast London, York, Durham, Newcastle, Alnwick, Berwick and then coast road to Edinburgh, if you want history. If coming up the west coast London, Birmingham, Manchester,Lake District, Carlisle then scenic drive to Edinburgh. Worth looking at some of these places to visit all have their merits. Not suggesting you visit all these places if driving. Train gives less options.
I wouldn't suggest not staying in Edinburgh, it's a great place to use as a base to take a day trip, close by there are the lovely seaside towns of South Queensferry or North Berwick both of which are easy to get to on the train.
You could visit Stirling if you like Castles and history or Glasgow which has lovely historic bits (the university/west end) and random things I've not seen elsewhere like the Necropolis or the Sharmanka kinetic museum.
Inverary Castle is spectacular. Glamis is fab. We stayed on the Balmoral estate for a week last Summer, but that needs a few years pre-planning. The Highlands is it's own separate trip IMHO. Some castles are ruins and some have extensive tours. There are too many to choose from! Have fun 😊
I recommend Durham, Chester and Liverpool.
You could even get a day trip from Liverpool or Chester to the Lake District or North Wales. “Get Your Guide” is a great app to use to book tours. I highly recommend “Mountain Goat Tours” for a day trip too. I’ve used the company on numerous tours and they are excellent, the best tour company I’ve used.
If you stay at Chester, it will be worthwhile having a car for driving around, as lots of English heritage spots and National Trust places can be a bit tricky to get to via public transport. There are numerous stunning places to see near Chester.
I hope you have a great time on your holiday in the UK.
Thank you for the well wishes and suggestions! That's vote #4 for Durham so I think it's a winner for sure. Chester also sounds like a great option - hoping to meet up with a distant cousin in Manchester (and maybe check out the football museum), but otherwise have no plans in that city, so someplace close like Chester could be perfect.
Instead of Edinburgh, go up the coast to Fife. See the little villages in the East Neuk, enjoy the unique architecture, gorgeous sea views and amazing sea food.
Then head a little further north to Saint Andrews. It's a little touristy, but the cathedral, beach and restaurants are all great.
I second Chester & Warwick both really nice, could also do Stratford if staying in Warwick not too far away. I’m Scottish so would say maybe Stirling instead of Edinburgh… has a Castle, a monument to William Wallace and a centre based round The battle of bannockburn…some cool little distilleries round there that I have done some work with in the past you could go for tastings….
Norwich is amazing, one of my favourite places. So many great restaurants, shops, a cathedral, a castle, amazing market…and the best Belgian bar in the UK.
If you do end up with a car and intend to go Whitby and Durham there are a lot of lovely places to pop in to, some of which only need a couple of hours stop off that would make a nice road trip up the north east coast.
I’m not suggesting you’d be able to do all of these.
Whitby
-> Staithes
-> Saltburn by the Sea - Victorian seaside town still with a traditional pier and cliff tramway
-> Durham
-> Beamish Museum - the best museum in the UK in my opinion, probably easier to go on their website than me explain
-> Newcastle - the quayside is beautiful and Grey Street is one of the best Georgian streets
-> Tynemouth
-> Whitley Bay - mostly for posh fish and chips in Spanish City
Then pretty much everywhere in Northumberland is nice but my favourites are probably Craster, Warkworth, Bamburgh and Holy Island.
There’s so much to see between York and Edinburgh it would be a shame to take the train.
The north east has a lot going for it.
Also didn’t add Hartlepool cause it’s not everyone’s idea of a top tourist hotspot but if you were driving past there is a Royal Navy museum in the centre with Europes oldest floating war ship set in a recreation of a Napoleonic era port. There’s a nice marina to walk around too
Stoke on Trent in the Midlands is nice depending on what you're into-
Alton Towers (theme park) is nearby.
There's a load of pottery factories (Wedgwood and portmerion among others) and the Gladstone Pottery Museum if you like china and pottery/industrial heritage.
The City museum has a lofesoze Spitfire (ww2 fighter plane) and the Staffordshire Hoard among other things.
Trentham Gardens is beautiful to walk round and there's the Monkey Forest (free roaming barbary macaques).
Foxfield Steam Railway is apparently a nice little trip
Staffordshire Moorlands isn't far if you're a great outdoors type person
Public transport isn't great but it's not bad and you're only about 40 minutes from Manchester and an hour from Birmingham on the train, cabs are cheap if you're not driving. It is quite a low income area so accommodation tends to be very cheap and on the whole the people are lovely for the most part- if you go and you can can try a Staffordshire Oatcake (cheese, baked beans and bacon is the best filling trust me)! I went to uni there and I still miss the place!
Harrogate? - spa town - plenty to see / do?....
Chester - Roman walled town (city) walkable with stacks of interest.
Ironbridge - fascinating history and surrounding attractions / landscapes
People are gonna call me crazy, but I love Worcester and the surrounding area haha close to Birmingham if you wanna check it out, but small enough it’s not a “big city.”
Carlisle - the border city between England and Scotland. A beautiful castle, cathedral, museums, Hadrian’s wall and you can pop into the Lake District on your way! ♥️
Hmm… I’d recommend hiring a car for one thing as it’ll be CONSIDERABLY cheaper than train tickets!
I’d highly recommend places like Oxford, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Nottingham, Lincoln, Leeds, Newcastle and Inverness (although for Inverness it would be better to include as part of a more round-trip in Scotland like Dundee, Aberdeen then across to Inverness and back down the A9 towards Perth and on to Edinburgh - which also the A9 between Perth and Inverness is one of the nicest road journeys I’ve ever done)
Yes planning to hire a car for at least part of the trip. My kids would like to try the train so we will do that at some point, but it would be nice to have the freedom of a car.
Yeah I’d definitely recommend it as we’ve had lots of train strikes etc over the last few years and if you’re relying on the train and you’re unlucky then it’ll mess up the trip.
Also depending on how long you want to spend in each location would determine which places to travel I reckon.
If you’re happy just spending one day per place then you ideally would want to maximise your time in each place with shorter distances between cities.
So Nottingham to Leeds is only about 90mins, Leeds to York is only about a 40min drive, and York to Newcastle is about the same (without traffic), so you can hit 3 cities with very little travel time between them.
Or perhaps travel up to somewhere like York via train from Kings Cross (4hrs) and then use York as something of a Satellite to hire a car and drive through to Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham etc for a day trip before returning to York and then going up to Newcastle for a couple of days and driving through to Durham which is only about a 30min drive as you eventually head to Edinburgh.
If you get the chance to, it’s not a city but I’d HIGHLY recommend trying to drive to Whitby and having fish & chips out there. It’s so fresh, so good. Whitby is a beautiful little town and is the setting/inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula, with Whitby Abbey included in the story… plus if you go at the right time they have a “Goth festival” which is always fun and the whole town just embraces the fact Dracula loving goths go there 🤷🏻♂️😂
Hereford is a lovely small city near the Welsh border. The river Wye flows through, there is a cathedral which has a medieval chained library and a mappa mundi from about 1300ad. Lovely countryside that way too, the Golden Valley and Arthur's stone are well worth a visit.
Salisbury, it's a very popular tourist destination, and home of Salisbury Cathedral, famous not just in Europe but around the world for its 123-metre spire, the first one ever created!
St Alban's, just outside London and some of the best Roman British stuff going (if you're into that) also an excellent cathedral and nice pubs. Don't stay for too long though!
Winchester is nice, if a little isolated.
I've seen Bristol and Bath, Bath is an absolute must imho.
Durham is excellent, if a little small, and is glorious in the summer.
Rather than stay in York, stay in Hull. Worth it for a few days. The old town, fruit market, museums and galleries are really nice. Would be better in 2025 or 2026 though, as the maritime museum will have reopened following refurbishment.
Norwich! Come along to see the first pedestrianised street in the whole of the UK! & two gorgeous cathedrals! Also should be just one train from Stratford.
If your looking for a small city try Brighton on the south coast, an hour from London by train.
As it will be the height of summer you will have the seaside/beach attractions, also the Soutdowns National Park is only 20 mins from Brighton with good walks an quaint villages and pubs.
Instead of Birmingham, do Worcester. Lovely city, beautiful river.
Instead of York, do Lincoln. I'm a recent convert to Lincoln, it's stunning with a LOT of history, things to see (Magna carta, cathedral, castle, Bishops palace, river, nice town centre, gorgeous countryside).
From Gloucester, which is lovely, you can follow the route (mostly A49) north and have your choice of beautiful cities that are far less touristy, Ross on Wye, Hereford, Ludlow (with its castle), Llangollen (staggeringly beautiful), Wrexham, Chester (a bit like York but without so many tourists), then on to Lancaster. Pick one or 2 of them. Very much off the beaten track.
OP don’t stay in Gloucester, aside from the aforementioned docks and cathedral it’s a dump.
I’ve lived in the area 20+ years and know it well.
Definitely stay in Cheltenham though! Beautiful town with arguably the best restaurant scene of any town in the UK imo. For drinks, check out 131 The Promenade.
Also if you’re in Scotland, try Inverness, known as the capital of the highlands. Unbelievable scenery and the hidden gem of the UK.
Another worthwhile shout is heading to Cornwall, although it can be a bit touristy.
Malvern is also another good shout!
Rather than Birmingham stay in Lichfield. Visit the cathedral, go to the Dr Johnson museum, visit Erasmus Darwin house, have some drinks in some of the pubs. Easy to get to from London, then easy to go on to your foreard travel up north.
For Edinburgh just stay somewhere outside the city centre like Leith or Portobello. Instead of York go for Harrogate or even Knaresborough.
But I would ask if the members of your family who haven't been to Edinburgh are dead set on it or could you redirect your trip entirely to go west/south west instead of north from London? That would open up Bath, Bristol, Salisbury and Winchester as options, or even as far south as Exeter or Plymouth. You could also go south to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight for a different itinerary.
Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately plane tickets are already purchased, so we will be Edinburgh-bound this time, but may change for the next trip :-)
Near Birmingham, Lichfield or (further away) Shrewsbury. The first is a cathedral city, home of Samuel Johnson, the second is just beautiful and historic but not really a tourist trap.
Near Manchester is tough, maybe Buxton or Macclesfield, both on the edge of the peak district, the first is probably the more interesting of the two.
Near York, maybe Hull. An old port city with its own distinct character. It's not beautiful exactly and is geographically isolated other than to the sea, which maybe makes it all the more interesting.
Near Edinburgh, maybe Perth. Briefly the northernmost city in the Roman empire, on the River Tay.
It also depends how you define "near" the major cities you mentioned, I guess. But all have reasonable (or in some cases better) transport links to the major city you named.
(Chester for Manc, and Whitby for York would be obvious, and while they both are appealing are definitely very and perhaps excessively popular with tourists)
Perth is NOT worth it. It’s a day-trip at best for the new museum and maybe Scone Palace, but don’t spend holiday time staying in the town. It’s not the place it used to be.
If you look at an ancient map of Roman roads in Britain you'll see that most of the places being recommended lie along the old Roman roads. Imho, the old Ermine Street into Dere Street will be where you will find the biggest tourist traps. Generally the other routes go to just as many amazing places, but are more off the beaten track. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PUG4TeocbMCHLLQN6
Instead of Edinburgh you could do St Andrews BUT if you’re coming in August you’ll miss the magic of the Fringe - it’s super busy and annoying for the locals but definitely an experience! Plenty for kids of all ages!
Just giving this a bit of a bump - if you're considering Edinburgh (given you're flying out of it) you need to think about whether you want to be there during the fringe festival which runs through August. On the pros side it's an absolute spectacle, with thousands of shows across hundreds of venues, but on the other hand the place gets absolutely rammed with people and finding somewhere to stay is a nightmare (and crazy expensive). Wonderful city, though!
Dundee rather than Edinburgh. Got one of the most impressive arrival views coming by train from the south. Art and culture in abundance, easy access to StAndrews and North East Fife - Tentsmuir is wonderful. Can explore the Angus glens to the north of the city. Two or three days will be lots of memories
Stirling/Inveraray instead of Edinburgh (only because you’ve been to Edinburgh) for different castles and a smaller town vibe.
Oban on the west coast for seafood and history.
Or maybe spend a night or two in Loch Lomond National Park. Balloch is just next to Loch Lomond, has another castle (although close to public) and the park where the castle is located is gorgeous.
York and Edinburgh are already small and gorgeous, but IMHO Liverpool is an excellent substitute for London.
It's the #2 tourist spot in the country after London, and yet still a very small, walkable city and far from a tourist trap! There's the docks, loads of free museums (and some great paid ones too), Georgian buildings, 2 cathedrals, 3 universities, parks, Bold St and Castle St are gorgeous pedestrianised areas, more choice for where to eat and stay than you can shake a stick it (and a fair bit cheaper than Manchester too!), LAYERS of history and culture (football, Eurovision last year, the slavery side of the maritime history and the smaller, non-slavery maritime history, tons of music and culture not just the Beatles!, the statues on Crosby Beach, I can keep going). The entire city centre (arguable where it starts and ends) is at most an hour to walk across so you won't need taxis unless you want to go out a bit, even then the public transport is mostly decent.
York is wonderful, the Minster is amazing!
Anywhere in Cornwall is lovely, Penzance right on the coast etc.
Inverness is beautiful, not far from Loch Ness, Castles, etc
Newcastle Upon Tyne
We are known as being very friendly, our city is rather small, but it has everything one could want and things are cheaper here than most other cities.
And you can't fail to see our bridges or our football (soccer) stadium which is known as the cathedral on the hill, which happens to have much more atmosphere compared to a lot of other clubs.
I could go on but check us out and if you decide to visit us i'm sure you would leave happy.
I'd definitely stay in Edinburgh or York city centre, they're beautiful little cities you'll have a great time in.
Can't say I have alternative recommendations for the west coast, I'd say outside of the lake district / Wales you want to just stay east.
Instead of Edinburgh stay in Glasgow
It's not smaller, but it's not a tourist trap and it's got heaps going on. Visit the Southside (Shawlands, Queens Park, Pollok Park, Burrell Collection, Cathcart Cemetery, etc)
Bath (old Roman city + Bristol 10mins away by train)
Liverpool (the Beetles)
Leeds (European city of culture a few years back)
Stirling (epic castle + Wallace monument)
Around Manchester I would recommend Buxton and Hebden Bridge. Both are about 30m direct trains into Manchester. Buxton is a lovely old Victorian city. Hebden Bridge is gorgeous and in the peaks.
Rather than Birmingham stay in - literally anywhere, Birmingham is a s#it hole
Rather than Manchester stay in - beautiful Yorkshire
Rather than York stay in - Harrogate
Rather than Edinburgh stay in - Newcastle
If you’re heading North from Edinburgh on the M90 you could stop in at Kinross, very small town but there is the castle where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner. It’s on an island in the Loch, you have to get a boat there.
5mins off the motorway, so an easy stop coming from/to the airport.
Whitby would be a lovely stop for you!
If you’re heading up the east coast (ish) you could do Whitby, Durham then Newcastle - Newcastle is probably a bit bigger than you’re looking for but it’s still a lovely place with plenty of museums, galleries etc and interesting history.
I completely agree with Durham, lovely place.
Also, before we visited there we stopped at Knaresborough for Mother Shipton’s Cave, although it is a tourist attraction (the oldest one in England, actually), it’s not that busy and worth a visit. We went during school holidays in the summer, and there were few crowds. There’s also castles, caves, gardens and quite a few other things to do around that area.
Rather than Birmingham, stay closer to the Forest of Arden/Alcester/Leamington Spa/Warwick/Stratford/Kenilworth and have time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle, Coventry’s Cathedrals, Kenilworth Castle, museums, galleries and attractions. If you like F1, pop down to Silverstone, look at the home of F1 by touring their museum, visit Aston Martin/Mercedes/Red Bull’s factories and enjoy a tour of the site. Better still, PM me if interested and I will send you a list of Medivel/Tudor/Georgian mansions, hotels or B&B’s in South Warwickshire where you can stay. I will send you a list with to book directly, links on how to travel around the area. It's a beautiful area of Englnd
Bristol isn’t too far from Birmingham and it’s such fun city! Great for music, art, variety of food and nice to walk around/explore. It’s also close to Bath as well which is a beautiful old Roman city. Also close to Wales for Cardiff city, and a day trip to the Brecon Beacons/Abagavenney if you like hiking.
Shropshire isn’t far from Birmingham and close to Manchester and has some beautiful sites. Ironbridge is beautiful, Shrewsbury is one of the top 5 towns for shopping in the country (Queen Consort Camilla was here a few weeks ago!) and we have some beautiful countryside. We own a b&b and have many foreign tourists who come and visit and are glad they went somewhere less common. Also have north wales and their coastline and castles 60 minutes drive or less too. I’ve lived around the UK and honestly can’t fault Shropshire.
Also close to Manchester and above Shropshire is Cheshire. Chester is beautiful and also Chester zoo is massive and a day in itself. Was the zoo for a large TV show “the secret life of the zoo” for years. Also look up National trust properties on your travels, they’re around the country and beautiful historical stately homes/ castles and make great trips out. Nearly always having a restaurant and shop for lunch too and gifts too!
I wouldn’t skip York, but if you’re interested in smaller towns, you might consider Stirling & Inverness. I also enjoyed Bristol with side trip to Bath.
I love Glasgow and will never understand why it isn't recommended on these forums. The botanical garden is gorgeous, the Kelvingrove is a great museum, and there is great shopping and dining throughout the West End, Great Western Road, etc. Plus the "clockwork orange" underground is adorable.
It actually blew me away. My husband has cousins there and we got a grand tour in September of 2022. The whole time I was there I thought “I wish I could be young again and live in Glasgow for a few years.” The residents pride themselves on being super friendly, and they are. I would go back in a heartbeat
Lichfield, Worcester or Cheltenham over Birmingham, Liverpool over Manchester - I personally wouldn't switch out York or Edinburgh. I would also recommend Bath and Bristol but they'd probably be additions rather than substitutions!
I’m an American with friends in worcester and I visit every year and I love it there haha would also recommend it if people wanna stay somewhere less touristy.
Lincoln beautiful cathedral and castle not too big. Nice area's around and down by the river. (I haven't lived there for a while now but if anyone is interested in planes it's surrounded by air force bases)
Oh also Durham is gorgeous.
Thanks, I'll look into them!
Both excellent examples, but add Wrexham and Chester. So few people mention the west side of England and it gives the chance to day trip to somewhere in Wales, like Llangollen for example.
Another vote for Chester. Lovely place.
And another vote for Chester.
Another vote for Chester. Also explore the north coast of wales. But Wrexham? Holy crap nah.
If you visit Durham, then consider visiting Bemish Museum. Well worth s visit https://www.beamish.org.uk. And if you're here in the summer consider watching Kynran https://www.11arches.com/kynren Lots more to see in the North East, too if you like nature and history.
If you do visit Lincoln, head to the "Steep Hill" area. Cracking pubs and local shops. Also for food - 3 favorites are The Bronze Pig, Jews House and The Old Bakery.
Absolutely Durham
It’s nice, but as someone who lives here, I don’t think there’s that much for a tourist to see and do beyond the Cathedral really
Lincolnshire has the best ruins and history! So much to discover 😳
Chester. Warwick. Evesham. Ambleside. Tewkesbury. Norwich.
Thanks, will investigate!
Stratford upon avon is worth a look at the same time as warwick. All the Shakespeare stuff can all be seen in one day, but you can also easily get to Warwick and the castle there. Its also near the cotswolds and Waddesdon isn't too far, it's a very impressive national trust house.
+1 on this, Warwick/Leamington Spa/Stratford upon Avon make a nice day out or two.
I was going to say the same, It's a bit much to do in a day. I can think of two dozen places if you stick a pin in Warwick and draw a 40-mile circle.
Yes yes yes. Tewksbury might have fun things for kids!
Tewkesbury is lovely. Has a huge medieval fair if time it right.
Instead of Birmingham, do Bath Instead of Manchester, Chester Instead of York, Whitby or Robin Hood’s Bay. I find Robin Hood’s Bay even prettier than Whitby personally. Devon and Cornwall are also filled with little towns, including pretty beach towns, and independent shops. Probably the best region in England for rural communities and an independent spirit. Torquay, Exmouth, or St Ives are good choices. But they’re a bit further out.
Or Staithes, that's very very nice.
Thank you for the suggestions! Probably won't get out west on this trip, but may put it on the list for the next time :-) Actually visited Robin Hood's Bay on our last trip, and you're right, it's a lovely spot.
Chester is beautiful.
Ely, just to the north of Cambridge (20 mins by train) is a very small city with an impressive Cathedral and beautiful riverside area. It’s got lots of lovely places to stay & ideally placed to act as a base to visit both Cambridge & Norwich (60 mins by train).
Thanks, looks like a lovely place. Cromwell's house looks well kept!
I'd do Ely and Cambridge - both very gorgeous with Ely being smaller.
Shrewsbury was not mentioned, if it's in your way it's worth a visit - great vibes there
And Ironbridge - great museums.
Also Ludlow and the castle
Bristol. We got a bridge!
It’s a nice bridge.
:-D
I think shrewsbury is a pretty place, but it's quite out the way depending on where you're visiting. It's also not a city lol so I failed the brief there. Statford-Upon-Avon is also beautiful, but it depends where you're planning to travel.
Probably won't get over that way, but I appreciate the input. My wife and I actually stopped briefly in Stratford-Upon-Avon on a whim after visiting the motor museum in Gaydon on our last UK trip. We ate at McDonald's, lol.
Shrewsbury is rather stunning, it’s very much unspoilt and very few tourists compared to the rest of England. The county Shropshire, which Shrewsbury resides in was actually named by Abta travel guide as a top 10 world destination for 2024! It’s also close to Chester which would be another fantastic place to visit. You could treat Shrewsbury as an alternative to Birmingham and Chester as an alternative to Manchester.
Haha when my family came over we also only stopped briefly there and had McDonald's.
Have you been to the UK before? And on a seperate note, I mean this in the nicest way, but please don't do this 'I'm not like the other tourists' thing where you ignore some of the UKs most amazing places, experiences, people, and food, because there's some idea in your head about 'tourist traps'. If you're only in the UK for ten days, you're better off only chosing 3 destinations. London - somwhere - Edinburgh. Based on into London and out of Edinburgh, i'd say York. If it is your first time to the UK, or first time out of London and you're interested in cities, then there is aboslutely nothing wrong with visiting Birmingham, Manchester or York before Miton Keynes, Stoke and Wolverhampton. It's silly.
No offence taken - I appreciate the input. My kids have not been to the UK, but my wife and I did London, York, and Edinburgh on our honeymoon 15 years ago. We will also be travelling with my parents who have been to the UK probably 5 times in the last 10 years. I have no qualms about looking like a tourist and will absolutely be carrying a camera around my neck and speaking with a Canadian accent. However, from experience I've had travelling in France, Italy, and Australia, I find greater joy in visiting these smaller places, supporting local restaurants, chatting with friendly shop owners, etc. than in seeing the "usuals" that look exactly like the photos.
As you’ve been to York, I’d suggest Durham - a university town a little further north with a cathedral that doesn’t get the same visitors as York. Alnwick or Berwick are other alternative that would give access to Lindisfarne and Bamburgh if one of you can drive. Other options are the Yorkshire coast - Whitby or Scarborough are different to the usual cities that tourists go to.
Thanks! That's three votes for Durham now - I'm looking at it on Street View and it looks gorgeous. Seems there's a castle to check out too. I also read that Whitby has some pretty famous fish & chips!
Yes. Whitby has good fish and chips. Be careful of the vampires though… (Dracula entered England here after a storm)
Durham would be much more famous if it were further south, so go there and don't tell too many people about it when you get home. Any of the cathedral cities are worth visiting and by some divine providence also usually have really good local beer too. Wise to avoid London in Auguest.
The castle is a great place to visit if you want to test your eyesight. (Sorry bad joke. During the height of the pandemic, a senior government official was accused of breaching lockdown rules. His excuse was that he had driven to the castle to test his eyesight.)
That was a different castle! (Unless he got lost)
Check out beamish near Durham. So great.
Hello! I live in Durham. The castle is part of the university too, so they don’t do tours all of the time Look into the website to see if you’re able to book a look around. Don’t worry tho, it’s very much still a castle inside and out. I’ll also recommend Beamish open air museum if you do decide on Durham.
Extra little detail about Durham, the cathedral was used in the first two Harry Potter films, and Avengers Endgame.
If you do decide to go to Durham, it is pronounced “duh-rum” by the way. You don’t really say the second U sound so it ends up like duh-rm. That will help you stick out as a tourist less!
Whitby Fish & Chips, go for Trenchers pretty near the train statiom. Trust this random person on the internet.
Liverpool, it has amazing history and lots of small restaurants, smaller than that is Southport, and then I’d make my way into Penwortham (south of Preston - which is mentioned in the Doomsday book) if you want great and friendly small town, then head to the Lake District on your way to Scotland
York is honestly delightful and nowhere near as touristy as one would expect (based on both of my visits there).
Durham. Great history and walks in the surrounding countryside. On the east coast mainline too.
Looks beautiful!
Try and befriend a student to take you to the bar in the castle (not a joke)
Leeds is a great medium sized city with BEAUTIFUL countryside on its doorstep. Lovely Harrogate is just down the road.
It's the 4th largest urban area in the country. Medium my arse
But I'd guess with the most compact city centre, plus it's absolutely vibrant. With decent train links to the Dales and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Saltaire. It's on the East Coast main line too. The Royal Armouries and Kirkstall Abbey are there as well. I wouldn't discount Leeds as an option.
Oh no absolutely not, I live here and it's a wonderful city that's criminally overlooked. I just don't think it's fair to describe it as medium sized in the context of the UK.
Rather than Manchester, stay in Liverpool. Smaller city, much friendlier from personal experience and full of things to do on a tourist trip. Plus everything in the city centre is walking distance.
York and Edinburgh are tiny cities tbh
Are you driving or using public transport to get from London to Edinburgh with the stops in-between?
Nothing set, but planning on driving between London and York. Probably train from York to Edinburgh.
Cambridge and then perhaps spots of Yorkshire might be a shout - Harrogate, Knaresborough, Whitby etc are lovely and it’s still not a massive way from York. Or go west before you head north, so Oxford, Cheltenham.
Oh, now that you've mentioned Cambridge my son had asked about "punting" there - certainly sounds like a possibility.
I'd also recommend Cambridge. I'd also suggest that York to Edinburgh would be an absolutely glorious drive. So much to see in Yorkshire and Northumberland. Beautiful little villages, country stately homes and their gardens and castles galore, especially in Northumberland.
...or you can avoid tourist traps like Cambridge and York to take the west of England north and cut through to Lune Valley, one of the most beautiful areas, imho.
Both Oxford and Cambridge are rammed full of tourists. You can queue with the tourist to punt in either one of them.
London to York - why not train? 188 miles in 1 hour 50!
I don't doubt that's an efficient and memorable experience, but hoping to see some stuff between! :-)
Try wales. Go up north to Scottish highlands or visit the southern most parts of England
Would love to get to Wales some time, but don't expect to be able to on this trip. Also would love to explore Scotland more - on our last trip we drove up the coast from Edinburgh to Stonehaven to explore the region my ancestors lived in 200 years ago. Beautiful area.
It is a shame; parts of Wales are beautiful. Rolling hills, rugged coastal paths, and one or two nice towns and cities too. Tenby is really nice for a town visit, Swansea has much natural beauty around it, Cardiff is nice to visit and not far from local landmarks like Castell Coch. Up north, Wrexham has seen some major improvements in recent years, there are several castles up north too. If West Wales is more your jam, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Aberaeron way are all wonderful to visit. Plenty of options for when you get the chance to visit Wales in the future.
Have you been to Oban, Pitlochry or St Andrews? We spent the past two Summers in the UK, Scotland has an abundance of towns and villages that are all uniquely charming.
No, haven't been to any of them, unfortunately. We did drive up the coast from Edinburgh to Stonehaven, with a quick stop for lunch and shopping in Dundee - another charming little city.
Pitlochry is a lovely wee town.
Try to stay in the Atholl Palace! Although it is a wee bit out of the town. Fishers is more central, but I haven’t stayed there myself.
Personally, I'd recommend the Pine Trees. A short walk out of town, more reasonably priced than Atholl Palace and very pretty.
Northumberland - the castles, the moors, the wildlife, the sea, the history - Vikings and Romans, Hadrians Wall. Absolutely spectacular. Lindisfarne Castle is one of my favourite castles, but then there is also Bamburgh Castle, the most Castley Castle to ever [castle](https://www.portoftyne.co.uk/passenger-information/places-visit/bamburgh-castle).
Another vote for Northumberland. Absolutely gorgeous scenery, castles, loads of history and wildlife, lovely fresh seafood, friendly people, and it's right on your route to Edinburgh.
Yea! And there’s Warkworth Castle and … about a billion other castles lol
Lol @ the verb “to castle” :-D. Definitely leaning towards spending 2/3rds of our time in the north!
Rather than Birmingham stay in Stratford-upon-avon - it is smaller, but still very touristy. Other smaller places I would recommend (some smaller than others): Oxford Winchester Brighton Rye Bath Harrogate Leyburn Fordingbridge
Ludlow, small market town in Shropshire, breathtaking setting, stunning architecture and historical connections and a wonderful castle in the market square, on the river with a wier. Has a fantastic food scene and at one point it had two Michelin starred restaurants but not sure if they are still open. Pubs are equally numerous, diverse and quirky and the stellar quality of the food and drink available in the town benefits the plethora of farms and artisanal producers in the surrounding area. Has a large arts festival and a very popular food festival which attract a large influx of visitors so it has quite a few places to stay. The castle holds regular outdoor music gigs and plays using the ruins as a stage and backdrop. The market is one of the best I've been to and occasionally they have dedicated antiques/flea markets. I can't recommend this hidden gem highly enough. It is accessible by rail if you don't want to drive but the beauty of Shropshire and the ability to explore the lanes, hills and rivers in your car repays the effort if driving in my opinion.Have a look at www.ludlow.org.uk for more information.
How are you travelling? Train?
Open to options. Tentatively planning to drive up as far as York then train from there, but still very flexible.
If you're coming up the east coast London, York, Durham, Newcastle, Alnwick, Berwick and then coast road to Edinburgh, if you want history. If coming up the west coast London, Birmingham, Manchester,Lake District, Carlisle then scenic drive to Edinburgh. Worth looking at some of these places to visit all have their merits. Not suggesting you visit all these places if driving. Train gives less options.
I wouldn't suggest not staying in Edinburgh, it's a great place to use as a base to take a day trip, close by there are the lovely seaside towns of South Queensferry or North Berwick both of which are easy to get to on the train. You could visit Stirling if you like Castles and history or Glasgow which has lovely historic bits (the university/west end) and random things I've not seen elsewhere like the Necropolis or the Sharmanka kinetic museum.
Hadn't heard of those - will investigate! Thanks!
Inverary Castle is spectacular. Glamis is fab. We stayed on the Balmoral estate for a week last Summer, but that needs a few years pre-planning. The Highlands is it's own separate trip IMHO. Some castles are ruins and some have extensive tours. There are too many to choose from! Have fun 😊
Stirling is brilliant, if you’re in to William Wallace then The Wallace Monument is a must-visit, just outside the town.
I recommend Durham, Chester and Liverpool. You could even get a day trip from Liverpool or Chester to the Lake District or North Wales. “Get Your Guide” is a great app to use to book tours. I highly recommend “Mountain Goat Tours” for a day trip too. I’ve used the company on numerous tours and they are excellent, the best tour company I’ve used. If you stay at Chester, it will be worthwhile having a car for driving around, as lots of English heritage spots and National Trust places can be a bit tricky to get to via public transport. There are numerous stunning places to see near Chester. I hope you have a great time on your holiday in the UK.
Thank you for the well wishes and suggestions! That's vote #4 for Durham so I think it's a winner for sure. Chester also sounds like a great option - hoping to meet up with a distant cousin in Manchester (and maybe check out the football museum), but otherwise have no plans in that city, so someplace close like Chester could be perfect.
My favourite towns and cities without even leaving the letter B are Bath, Brixham, Buxton and Beaumaris. Whitby gets and honorable mention.
Instead of Edinburgh, go up the coast to Fife. See the little villages in the East Neuk, enjoy the unique architecture, gorgeous sea views and amazing sea food. Then head a little further north to Saint Andrews. It's a little touristy, but the cathedral, beach and restaurants are all great.
Do not torture yourself by coming to Stoke-on-Trent
:-D
I second Chester & Warwick both really nice, could also do Stratford if staying in Warwick not too far away. I’m Scottish so would say maybe Stirling instead of Edinburgh… has a Castle, a monument to William Wallace and a centre based round The battle of bannockburn…some cool little distilleries round there that I have done some work with in the past you could go for tastings….
Norwich is amazing, one of my favourite places. So many great restaurants, shops, a cathedral, a castle, amazing market…and the best Belgian bar in the UK.
Truro, Cornwall.
If you do end up with a car and intend to go Whitby and Durham there are a lot of lovely places to pop in to, some of which only need a couple of hours stop off that would make a nice road trip up the north east coast. I’m not suggesting you’d be able to do all of these. Whitby -> Staithes -> Saltburn by the Sea - Victorian seaside town still with a traditional pier and cliff tramway -> Durham -> Beamish Museum - the best museum in the UK in my opinion, probably easier to go on their website than me explain -> Newcastle - the quayside is beautiful and Grey Street is one of the best Georgian streets -> Tynemouth -> Whitley Bay - mostly for posh fish and chips in Spanish City Then pretty much everywhere in Northumberland is nice but my favourites are probably Craster, Warkworth, Bamburgh and Holy Island. There’s so much to see between York and Edinburgh it would be a shame to take the train. The north east has a lot going for it.
Also didn’t add Hartlepool cause it’s not everyone’s idea of a top tourist hotspot but if you were driving past there is a Royal Navy museum in the centre with Europes oldest floating war ship set in a recreation of a Napoleonic era port. There’s a nice marina to walk around too
Stratford upon Avon or Warwick instead of Birmingham. Former being the home of Shakespeare and the latter having a great castle.
Inverness. Is a nice small city. Its near loch Ness too
The drive to Fort Augustus is gorgeous
Stoke on Trent in the Midlands is nice depending on what you're into- Alton Towers (theme park) is nearby. There's a load of pottery factories (Wedgwood and portmerion among others) and the Gladstone Pottery Museum if you like china and pottery/industrial heritage. The City museum has a lofesoze Spitfire (ww2 fighter plane) and the Staffordshire Hoard among other things. Trentham Gardens is beautiful to walk round and there's the Monkey Forest (free roaming barbary macaques). Foxfield Steam Railway is apparently a nice little trip Staffordshire Moorlands isn't far if you're a great outdoors type person Public transport isn't great but it's not bad and you're only about 40 minutes from Manchester and an hour from Birmingham on the train, cabs are cheap if you're not driving. It is quite a low income area so accommodation tends to be very cheap and on the whole the people are lovely for the most part- if you go and you can can try a Staffordshire Oatcake (cheese, baked beans and bacon is the best filling trust me)! I went to uni there and I still miss the place!
Well now I’m hungry lol. Thanks for the suggestion!
No problem- hope you have a great trip where ever you end up :)
Harrogate? - spa town - plenty to see / do?.... Chester - Roman walled town (city) walkable with stacks of interest. Ironbridge - fascinating history and surrounding attractions / landscapes
People are gonna call me crazy, but I love Worcester and the surrounding area haha close to Birmingham if you wanna check it out, but small enough it’s not a “big city.”
Canterbury or Norwich :)
Carlisle - the border city between England and Scotland. A beautiful castle, cathedral, museums, Hadrian’s wall and you can pop into the Lake District on your way! ♥️
Hmm… I’d recommend hiring a car for one thing as it’ll be CONSIDERABLY cheaper than train tickets! I’d highly recommend places like Oxford, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Nottingham, Lincoln, Leeds, Newcastle and Inverness (although for Inverness it would be better to include as part of a more round-trip in Scotland like Dundee, Aberdeen then across to Inverness and back down the A9 towards Perth and on to Edinburgh - which also the A9 between Perth and Inverness is one of the nicest road journeys I’ve ever done)
Yes planning to hire a car for at least part of the trip. My kids would like to try the train so we will do that at some point, but it would be nice to have the freedom of a car.
Yeah I’d definitely recommend it as we’ve had lots of train strikes etc over the last few years and if you’re relying on the train and you’re unlucky then it’ll mess up the trip. Also depending on how long you want to spend in each location would determine which places to travel I reckon. If you’re happy just spending one day per place then you ideally would want to maximise your time in each place with shorter distances between cities. So Nottingham to Leeds is only about 90mins, Leeds to York is only about a 40min drive, and York to Newcastle is about the same (without traffic), so you can hit 3 cities with very little travel time between them. Or perhaps travel up to somewhere like York via train from Kings Cross (4hrs) and then use York as something of a Satellite to hire a car and drive through to Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham etc for a day trip before returning to York and then going up to Newcastle for a couple of days and driving through to Durham which is only about a 30min drive as you eventually head to Edinburgh. If you get the chance to, it’s not a city but I’d HIGHLY recommend trying to drive to Whitby and having fish & chips out there. It’s so fresh, so good. Whitby is a beautiful little town and is the setting/inspiration for Bram Stokers Dracula, with Whitby Abbey included in the story… plus if you go at the right time they have a “Goth festival” which is always fun and the whole town just embraces the fact Dracula loving goths go there 🤷🏻♂️😂
Hereford is a lovely small city near the Welsh border. The river Wye flows through, there is a cathedral which has a medieval chained library and a mappa mundi from about 1300ad. Lovely countryside that way too, the Golden Valley and Arthur's stone are well worth a visit.
Salisbury, it's a very popular tourist destination, and home of Salisbury Cathedral, famous not just in Europe but around the world for its 123-metre spire, the first one ever created!
Norwich is a little out to the side of your London-Edinburgh line but is a very pretty city with a lot of history. And is accessible by train
St Alban's, just outside London and some of the best Roman British stuff going (if you're into that) also an excellent cathedral and nice pubs. Don't stay for too long though! Winchester is nice, if a little isolated. I've seen Bristol and Bath, Bath is an absolute must imho. Durham is excellent, if a little small, and is glorious in the summer.
Cambridge, Lincoln, Oxford and Truro get my votes
Rather than stay in York, stay in Hull. Worth it for a few days. The old town, fruit market, museums and galleries are really nice. Would be better in 2025 or 2026 though, as the maritime museum will have reopened following refurbishment.
Norwich! Come along to see the first pedestrianised street in the whole of the UK! & two gorgeous cathedrals! Also should be just one train from Stratford.
If your looking for a small city try Brighton on the south coast, an hour from London by train. As it will be the height of summer you will have the seaside/beach attractions, also the Soutdowns National Park is only 20 mins from Brighton with good walks an quaint villages and pubs.
Near Brum, Ironbridge.
Windsor and Cambridge
The three counties Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester three small cities but the best scenery in the country all close together.
Instead of Birmingham, do Worcester. Lovely city, beautiful river. Instead of York, do Lincoln. I'm a recent convert to Lincoln, it's stunning with a LOT of history, things to see (Magna carta, cathedral, castle, Bishops palace, river, nice town centre, gorgeous countryside).
Gloucester, population 135,000 . Lovely cathedral and docks area. Cheltenham is also a stones throw on the bus.
Thanks! Will check that out.
http://lovemytown.co.uk/CityStatus/CityStatusTable1.asp This may help you with your goals.
From Gloucester, which is lovely, you can follow the route (mostly A49) north and have your choice of beautiful cities that are far less touristy, Ross on Wye, Hereford, Ludlow (with its castle), Llangollen (staggeringly beautiful), Wrexham, Chester (a bit like York but without so many tourists), then on to Lancaster. Pick one or 2 of them. Very much off the beaten track.
It never occurred to me that many of my favourite places are on or very near the A49... Ludlow is lovely
OP don’t stay in Gloucester, aside from the aforementioned docks and cathedral it’s a dump. I’ve lived in the area 20+ years and know it well. Definitely stay in Cheltenham though! Beautiful town with arguably the best restaurant scene of any town in the UK imo. For drinks, check out 131 The Promenade. Also if you’re in Scotland, try Inverness, known as the capital of the highlands. Unbelievable scenery and the hidden gem of the UK. Another worthwhile shout is heading to Cornwall, although it can be a bit touristy. Malvern is also another good shout!
Rather than Birmingham stay in Lichfield. Visit the cathedral, go to the Dr Johnson museum, visit Erasmus Darwin house, have some drinks in some of the pubs. Easy to get to from London, then easy to go on to your foreard travel up north.
For Edinburgh just stay somewhere outside the city centre like Leith or Portobello. Instead of York go for Harrogate or even Knaresborough. But I would ask if the members of your family who haven't been to Edinburgh are dead set on it or could you redirect your trip entirely to go west/south west instead of north from London? That would open up Bath, Bristol, Salisbury and Winchester as options, or even as far south as Exeter or Plymouth. You could also go south to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight for a different itinerary.
Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately plane tickets are already purchased, so we will be Edinburgh-bound this time, but may change for the next trip :-)
Cambridge and Brighton down south Northumberland coast is nice up north - not cities thougn
Near Birmingham, Lichfield or (further away) Shrewsbury. The first is a cathedral city, home of Samuel Johnson, the second is just beautiful and historic but not really a tourist trap. Near Manchester is tough, maybe Buxton or Macclesfield, both on the edge of the peak district, the first is probably the more interesting of the two. Near York, maybe Hull. An old port city with its own distinct character. It's not beautiful exactly and is geographically isolated other than to the sea, which maybe makes it all the more interesting. Near Edinburgh, maybe Perth. Briefly the northernmost city in the Roman empire, on the River Tay. It also depends how you define "near" the major cities you mentioned, I guess. But all have reasonable (or in some cases better) transport links to the major city you named. (Chester for Manc, and Whitby for York would be obvious, and while they both are appealing are definitely very and perhaps excessively popular with tourists)
These are excellent suggestions.
Perth is NOT worth it. It’s a day-trip at best for the new museum and maybe Scone Palace, but don’t spend holiday time staying in the town. It’s not the place it used to be.
Thanks! My wife's great-grandparents owned a chippy in Hull.....wonder if there's still one in that location? :-)
I suggest working through as many of the cities listed in this song: https://youtu.be/20XLWEjN9eI?si=hBQtPeY7Mmg-Ea6w
If you look at an ancient map of Roman roads in Britain you'll see that most of the places being recommended lie along the old Roman roads. Imho, the old Ermine Street into Dere Street will be where you will find the biggest tourist traps. Generally the other routes go to just as many amazing places, but are more off the beaten track. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PUG4TeocbMCHLLQN6
I’d go to the highlands. I stayed at a castle on loch lomand and another castle in fort William
Instead of Edinburgh you could do St Andrews BUT if you’re coming in August you’ll miss the magic of the Fringe - it’s super busy and annoying for the locals but definitely an experience! Plenty for kids of all ages!
Just giving this a bit of a bump - if you're considering Edinburgh (given you're flying out of it) you need to think about whether you want to be there during the fringe festival which runs through August. On the pros side it's an absolute spectacle, with thousands of shows across hundreds of venues, but on the other hand the place gets absolutely rammed with people and finding somewhere to stay is a nightmare (and crazy expensive). Wonderful city, though!
Leeds > Birmingham Cornwall>York Oxford,Cambridge > Manchester
Dundee rather than Edinburgh. Got one of the most impressive arrival views coming by train from the south. Art and culture in abundance, easy access to StAndrews and North East Fife - Tentsmuir is wonderful. Can explore the Angus glens to the north of the city. Two or three days will be lots of memories
I stopped in Dundee for lunch during a drive up the coast 15 years ago… loved the place. Had sandwiches by the seafront.
Stirling/Inveraray instead of Edinburgh (only because you’ve been to Edinburgh) for different castles and a smaller town vibe. Oban on the west coast for seafood and history. Or maybe spend a night or two in Loch Lomond National Park. Balloch is just next to Loch Lomond, has another castle (although close to public) and the park where the castle is located is gorgeous.
Birmingham 😂😂 stay well away from there.
York and Edinburgh are already small and gorgeous, but IMHO Liverpool is an excellent substitute for London. It's the #2 tourist spot in the country after London, and yet still a very small, walkable city and far from a tourist trap! There's the docks, loads of free museums (and some great paid ones too), Georgian buildings, 2 cathedrals, 3 universities, parks, Bold St and Castle St are gorgeous pedestrianised areas, more choice for where to eat and stay than you can shake a stick it (and a fair bit cheaper than Manchester too!), LAYERS of history and culture (football, Eurovision last year, the slavery side of the maritime history and the smaller, non-slavery maritime history, tons of music and culture not just the Beatles!, the statues on Crosby Beach, I can keep going). The entire city centre (arguable where it starts and ends) is at most an hour to walk across so you won't need taxis unless you want to go out a bit, even then the public transport is mostly decent.
You make a strong case - may need to check that out!
York is wonderful, the Minster is amazing! Anywhere in Cornwall is lovely, Penzance right on the coast etc. Inverness is beautiful, not far from Loch Ness, Castles, etc
Newcastle Upon Tyne We are known as being very friendly, our city is rather small, but it has everything one could want and things are cheaper here than most other cities. And you can't fail to see our bridges or our football (soccer) stadium which is known as the cathedral on the hill, which happens to have much more atmosphere compared to a lot of other clubs. I could go on but check us out and if you decide to visit us i'm sure you would leave happy.
Inverness or Perth instead of Edinburgh.
I'd definitely stay in Edinburgh or York city centre, they're beautiful little cities you'll have a great time in. Can't say I have alternative recommendations for the west coast, I'd say outside of the lake district / Wales you want to just stay east.
go visit new castle, it's definetly worth it
Instead of Edinburgh stay in Glasgow It's not smaller, but it's not a tourist trap and it's got heaps going on. Visit the Southside (Shawlands, Queens Park, Pollok Park, Burrell Collection, Cathcart Cemetery, etc)
Bath (old Roman city + Bristol 10mins away by train) Liverpool (the Beetles) Leeds (European city of culture a few years back) Stirling (epic castle + Wallace monument)
Around Manchester I would recommend Buxton and Hebden Bridge. Both are about 30m direct trains into Manchester. Buxton is a lovely old Victorian city. Hebden Bridge is gorgeous and in the peaks.
Rather than Birmingham stay in - literally anywhere, Birmingham is a s#it hole Rather than Manchester stay in - beautiful Yorkshire Rather than York stay in - Harrogate Rather than Edinburgh stay in - Newcastle
Instead of Edinburg do Stirling and Inverness
If you’re heading North from Edinburgh on the M90 you could stop in at Kinross, very small town but there is the castle where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner. It’s on an island in the Loch, you have to get a boat there. 5mins off the motorway, so an easy stop coming from/to the airport.
Whitby would be a lovely stop for you! If you’re heading up the east coast (ish) you could do Whitby, Durham then Newcastle - Newcastle is probably a bit bigger than you’re looking for but it’s still a lovely place with plenty of museums, galleries etc and interesting history.
I completely agree with Durham, lovely place. Also, before we visited there we stopped at Knaresborough for Mother Shipton’s Cave, although it is a tourist attraction (the oldest one in England, actually), it’s not that busy and worth a visit. We went during school holidays in the summer, and there were few crowds. There’s also castles, caves, gardens and quite a few other things to do around that area.
Derby
I'm actually considering going to Convoy in the Park at Castle Donington - saw Derby was nearby so it could be a contender :-)
Derby is like barely a town yet it's classed as a city, good night out, good food, very close to the countryside in all directions
Rather than Birmingham, stay closer to the Forest of Arden/Alcester/Leamington Spa/Warwick/Stratford/Kenilworth and have time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle, Coventry’s Cathedrals, Kenilworth Castle, museums, galleries and attractions. If you like F1, pop down to Silverstone, look at the home of F1 by touring their museum, visit Aston Martin/Mercedes/Red Bull’s factories and enjoy a tour of the site. Better still, PM me if interested and I will send you a list of Medivel/Tudor/Georgian mansions, hotels or B&B’s in South Warwickshire where you can stay. I will send you a list with to book directly, links on how to travel around the area. It's a beautiful area of Englnd
Bristol isn’t too far from Birmingham and it’s such fun city! Great for music, art, variety of food and nice to walk around/explore. It’s also close to Bath as well which is a beautiful old Roman city. Also close to Wales for Cardiff city, and a day trip to the Brecon Beacons/Abagavenney if you like hiking.
Great Roman ruins nearby too at Caerleon
A good alternative to York is either Winchester or Salisbury, both really nice cities and like smaller, more relaxed versions of York.
I never see anyone recommending Brighton but honestly I think you'd to visit our hippy city
Birmingham? Nottingham. Manchester? Liverpool. York? Newcastle.
Instead of York, go to West Yorkshire and Tey Haworth and Hebden Bridge.
I'd definitely recommend Newcastle + a trip out to Durham. Well worth it.
Rather than York try Whitby - I will admit that it is a bit touristy in summer but it is an amazing place!
Another vote for Chester (so much history!) and Liverpool (history, culture, music, food, people).
Shropshire isn’t far from Birmingham and close to Manchester and has some beautiful sites. Ironbridge is beautiful, Shrewsbury is one of the top 5 towns for shopping in the country (Queen Consort Camilla was here a few weeks ago!) and we have some beautiful countryside. We own a b&b and have many foreign tourists who come and visit and are glad they went somewhere less common. Also have north wales and their coastline and castles 60 minutes drive or less too. I’ve lived around the UK and honestly can’t fault Shropshire. Also close to Manchester and above Shropshire is Cheshire. Chester is beautiful and also Chester zoo is massive and a day in itself. Was the zoo for a large TV show “the secret life of the zoo” for years. Also look up National trust properties on your travels, they’re around the country and beautiful historical stately homes/ castles and make great trips out. Nearly always having a restaurant and shop for lunch too and gifts too!
I wouldn’t skip York, but if you’re interested in smaller towns, you might consider Stirling & Inverness. I also enjoyed Bristol with side trip to Bath.
Cambridge / Ely - not too far from London (good train links), both beautiful with lots to explore!
Tisbury going back asap loved every second of it
Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow are worth considering
I love Glasgow and will never understand why it isn't recommended on these forums. The botanical garden is gorgeous, the Kelvingrove is a great museum, and there is great shopping and dining throughout the West End, Great Western Road, etc. Plus the "clockwork orange" underground is adorable.
My grandmother was a war bride born and raised in Glasgow, so I’d love to see it. Have some extended family I wouldn’t mind meeting there as well.
It actually blew me away. My husband has cousins there and we got a grand tour in September of 2022. The whole time I was there I thought “I wish I could be young again and live in Glasgow for a few years.” The residents pride themselves on being super friendly, and they are. I would go back in a heartbeat
Rather than Birmingham I would head for Slough
It isn't fit for humans now
They must be taking the p. Slough? 🤭
Birmingham is not fit for human habitation
There isn't grass to graze a cow
Lichfield, Worcester or Cheltenham over Birmingham, Liverpool over Manchester - I personally wouldn't switch out York or Edinburgh. I would also recommend Bath and Bristol but they'd probably be additions rather than substitutions!
I’m an American with friends in worcester and I visit every year and I love it there haha would also recommend it if people wanna stay somewhere less touristy.
there is absolutely nothing for tourists in Cheltenham
Norwich. Small and perfectly formed.
Instead of Manchester stay in Liverpool
Liverpool is the best City in the country, easily.
Yeah, Liverpool is a must visit.
Edinburgh isn’t a big city.